AMONG GREATEST PILOTS – MAXIME LENOIR DESTINY

Maxime LENOIR – 11-victory ace in 1916 – was not born in Paris but Chargé, in the Loire Valley

Post in English – LE MÊME ARTICLE EN FRANÇAIS AU BAS DE CETTE PAGE:

December 22, 2014

Maxime LENOIR would have been 126 years old today.

Lenoir, Navarre, Guynemer, and Nungesser – WW1 Aces

He used to be one of the most renowned and talented pilots. He had been an aviation pioneer as he was among the very first pilots who performed the famous « looping the loop » aerobatic manoeuvre in the trail of Adolphe Pégoud between 1913 and 1914. He took part in a few air races, and a lot of air shows on his Blériot XI, nicknamed « Backjumper ». The local, national, and international press started to write articles about his prodigal sense of flying in the numerous airshows as the spectators cheered him every time he showed up. For instance, he was carried in triumph after he performed aerobatic manoeuvres above « La Girardière », the Girard family airfield in Chargé, his home village where up to 5,000 people were gathered to attend his air show in May 1914.

Lenoir was rising to fame when Archduke Franz-Ferdinand was murdered and as the « European war » broke out, he joined up shortly after. In spite of his exceptional flying skills, Maxime Lenoir was unfortunately compelled to join the French cavalry. He then kept on requesting an assignment in the brand new military aeronautics recently created by General Hirschauer, and became a fighter pilot. However, he was first posted to the target-shooting department at the C18 flight, then he was transferred to the N23 flight as a fighter pilot. He waged a devastating war over the trenches, and against the Prussian aviation in fierce air battles over Verdun. He tested new weapons, and airplanes. He became one of the first pilots to shoot down a balloon. After a few victories in 1915, he became the N23’s best fighter pilot in 1916 with 11 victories, and most decorated among prestigious names – Pinsard, Casale, Gilbert, de Beauchamp, Rochechouart de Mortemart, Brindejonc des Moulinais, Roland Garros, Pulpe (from Russia), Baumont, etc. He was the best ace in his flight, and even reached the top four French aces in 1916 as he remained in the top-two aces in the summer of that year.

Maxime Lenoir looping the loop and airshows – early 1914

According to German soldiers’ testimony, Lenoir was a very skillful and fearsome ace. They knew him well as they knew Navarre, Nungesser, Guynemer, Dorme, and Boelcke, of course. It is important to note that Mannock, Rickenbacker, Collishaw, Bishop, Löwenhardt, Little, Udet, McCudden, Fonck, Von Richthofen, Beauchamp-Proctor, and McLaren were not so famous at that time for some of them were not aces or did not have so many victories. Air war between 1914 and 1916 was totally different from 1917/1918. As Lenoir had trained at Blériot’s Buc airfield, the best aerobatic flying school, he was able to cope with a jammed machine gun and dodge the enemy fire. Like a toreador, and in a very skillful way, he could lure the enemy pilots when his fellow pilots were under heavy fire. He was the best bullet dodger but took a lot of risks, too much maybe. He flew back to Vadelaincourt airfield with his aircraft crippled with bullets many times. He never hesitated to help his fellow pilots whenever he could since he dared to face up to several German airplanes in a row. He was deemed to be a very good friend, as well as salvation in the sky of Verdun. For instance, when he learnt that his friend Navarre (nicknamed « Verdun’s sentinel ») had been shot down and seriously wounded on June 17th, 1916, he took off immediately. Alone, he made for the location where his friend had been downed, and dashed to an LVG C that he shot down without delay. He became so famous that either his name or his portrait featured on magazines, candy wrappers, and stamps, among the greatest aces in the hall of fame.

GUYNEMER, LENOIR, GARROS – 1916

Maxime Lenoir had more than a hundred war missions, which was considerable at that time. Wounded twice in air combat, he kept on dogfighting. He took off the day after the take back of Fort Douaumont, wrecked havoc by the battle. He was flying his legendary SPAD VII tagged « Trompe la mort III » which meant « death-dodger » on October 25, 1916 when he was reported MIA until much later when he was declared « Dead for France ». However, he has never been found despite extensive searching.

DORME & LENOIR – 1916 Candy Wrapper

Unfortunately, this is why aviation history forgot him for almost a century. One of the most brilliant pilots had disappeared from World War 1 history. He remained all the same in a few books in English, and Jacques Mortane, the French journalist left several publications highlighting the role of Maxime Lenoir in aviation and air combat. Then nothing, almost nothing written on this pilot who was awarded the Legion d’honneur, Médaille militaire, Croix de guerre with 8 palms, as well as the notorious Aeroclub of America, and Aeroclub of France gold medals!

Only two men kept his remembrance alive – first, Abel Anjorand who has always been a long-time friend of Lenoir’s family. He compiled a set of documents and pictures to leave a trace of the village’s ace to future generations. Didier Lecoq, a journalist and historian, has revealed Maxime Lenoir’s feats on his website aeroplanedetouraine.fr for a few years. The WW1 ace could have stayed hidden for possibly a couple more decades without Didier Lecoq’s outstanding work.

Lenoir congratulated by British officers

Last not least, there is good news since the national and regional officials have officially recognized Maxime Lenoir as the WW1 hero for Tours and Indre-et-Loire in the remembrance operation called « 100 cities, 100 heroes, and 100 flags » since last summer. A ceremony to pay tribute to the local hero was held in the capital of Touraine, Place Anatole France on the left bank of the Loire river on Friday, September 19th, 2014. The Lenoir’s family, their friends and some veterans attended the ceremony which ended in the majestic festival hall at the city hall.

Though he did not know, Senior Master Sergeant (Adjudant – OR-8) Maxime Lenoir was to be promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in 1917. His disappearance in history handbooks for almost a century remains a mystery. Moreover, avgeeks, online gamers as well as modelists used Lenoir’s features « Trompe la mort III », « Max », and « Backjumper » tagged from markings just along with Guynemer’s « Vieux Charles ». No wonder if Maxime Lenoir recovered his position in aviation history for at least two books featuring the former ace are to be published between 2015 and 2016 – and quite rightly so. Among the 100 WW1 heroes, Lenoir turns out to be the 5th ace in victories out of 21 aces, and the second « Dead for France » ace after… Guynemer!

Summary:

ACE OF ACES – VERDUN 1916

Didier Lecoq (a historian and a journalist who is the co-author of L’Aviation militaire en Indre-et-Loire) was the first who had pointed out Maxime Lenoir, the forgotten ace, this ‘“Guynemer of the Loire Valley”’ since 2010. Without him, Lenoir would still be a forgotten ace. Only a few other people had remembered Maxime Lenoir’s feats before – his family, and two friends of theirs, Abel Anjorand and Philippe Girard.

Maxime Lenoir, who had trained in Buc, had been performing « Looping the loop » on his « Backjumper » Blériot XI throughout France in airshows since February 7, 1914. Lenoir scored 11 victories and was reported missed in action on October 25, 1916. Didier Lecoq found out in September 2014 that Lenoir was shot down:

The Verdun ace of aces for 4 months from June till October 1916Ace of aces among the Allies killed in action; until RFC Cpt Albert Ball’s death on May 6, 19171st French double ace killed in action 2nd double ace among the Allies killed in action 3rd in victories among all the pilots killed in action 3rd French ace killed in action after Pégoud and de Rochefort 5th double ace in the world killed in action 7th French pilot killed in action 14th ace in the world killed in action

He may have been the first pilot in the world who shot down a Drachen-type balloon on June 15, 1915 – to be confirmed as we are still searching. That operation was highly risky since those sausage-balloons were fiercely defended by ground-based air defenses. Reginald Warneford, a brave British pilot had downed a Zeppelin 8 days before. Shooting down a Zeppelin was a different business – an altitude challenge to make it short. On the one hand, Warneford became famous for this feat. He was awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross and the Légion d’Honneur. On the other hand, Lenoir’s Drachen victory was barely noticed. It was recognized several months later and few people figured out how fierce a battle it involved.

He would have been the first pilot in the world who shot down a heavy bomber Gotha on September 25, 1916. Only a handful of gallant pilots managed to shoot down such a flying fortress. Neither Fonck, nor the other allied aces downed a Gotha. Only Guynemer, helped by Chainat recorded a victory, a Gotha claimed on February 8, 1917. Nungesser, the redoubtable ace, shot down two Gothas. Maxime Lenoir suffered a lot from that air combat which left him a wound or a bruise to the edge of his left eye.

Among those killed in action, according to the number of victories, Lenoir was number 1 among the allied aces and the 3rd in the world. This is why his MIA spread around the world in the press.

The German ace Oswald Boelcke died three days later, on October 28, 1916 with 40 victories. The French recorded two major losses in 1917 : René Dorme (23 victories) was KIA on May 25, 1917; Georges Guynemer was KIA on September 11, 1917.

(as of January 31, 2016)

Step by step, as it is being confirmed, it turns out that Maxime Lenoir may have been the Ace of aces out of Verdun sky in 1916. At least between July and October 1916 while the French Poilus were through a glorious stage, regaining Fort Douaumont, then Fort Vaux. There is now a better understanding of that German prisoners claims about Lenoir’s attacks in interrogations. After checking, Lenoir was used to flying due north beyond Verdun, overhead Douaumont and beyond more often than Nungesser for instance. Perhaps it was why his SPAD VII was marked « TROMPE LA MORT III » – Death-dodger III – on his fuselage. This confirms Jacques Mortane’s articles which praised Lenoir as one of the best aces at that time.

Obviously, Maxime Lenoir also flew a Nieuport 17 in late 1916 equipped with an Éclair propeller from Marcel Dassault (Bloch at that time). The plane must have been very maneuverable at that time. It is the first time we have seen an Éclair propeller mounted on this type of aeroplane. The picture cannot be published at this time.

Last but not least, Maxime Lenoir, the 11-victory ace, was awarded the Legion d’honneur, Médaille militaire, Croix de guerre with 8 palms, as well as the notorious Aeroclub of America, and Aeroclub of France gold medals! He was the first ace with Guynemer and a few others to be awarded these awards!